Punch mechanism



D. P. DARWIN PUNCH MECHANISM July 13, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, 1963 INVENTOR DANIEL F? DARWIN ATTORNEY July 13, 1965 D. P. DARWIN 3,

PUNCH MECHANISM Filed March 29, 1963 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

July 13, 1965 D. P. DARWIN PUNCH MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 29, 1963 z EwEEE cm 08 02 @538 $26 .8 Z2251 o2 a a United States Patent 3,194,494 PUNCH MEiIHANlSM Daniel P. Darwin, Saratoga, Caiifi, assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 269,940 Claims. (Cl. 234-115) This invention relates to a machine for applying a code marking to a record, and more particularly to a high speed punching mechanism for punching record cards.

With the advent of the electronic computer, the emphasis in punching mechanisms has been on increased operating speed. The principal object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a punching mechanism that is capable of operating at very high speeds.

It is another object of this invention to provide a punching mechanism wherein positive control is maintained over the components of the mechanism so that acceleration of the components is minimized.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a high speed punching mechanism that operates with a minimum amount of noise.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a punching mechanism capable of high speed operation having a selective control mechanism that is resiliently mounted so that breaking or slipping of parts is eliminated.

According to the invention, a high speed record marking machine is provided with a record marking mechanism having synchronized continuously driven elements, a plurality of individually selectively actuable marking members, and control means for selectively actuating the marking members in which the control means are resiliently mounted so that breakage or slippage of parts due to the element-s being continuously driven during marking operations is prevented.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawmgs.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view with parts cut away and portions shown in schematic form of a punching mechanism embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the punch mechanism of FIG. 1 showing the control means in the retracted position.

FIG. 3 is a section view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the control means in the selected position.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic timing diagram showing the relative times at which various components are actuated.

According to the invention, an improved record marking machine is provided comprising a plurality of marking members 143 selectively movable between a marking (FIG. 3) and a non-marking (FIG. 2) position. An actuating means 12 is selectively coupled to move the markin member by a control means 14. Operation of the control means is obtained by selectively holding a control member 16 in a first position (FIG. 2) by holding means 18, and under control of a predetermined signal to release means 20 to cause the control member 16 to move to a second position (FIG. 3). An interposing member 22 is coupled to the control member 16 by a EJMAM Patented July 113, i965 ber 16 is moved to the second position the actuating means 12 is coupled by the interposing member 22 to cause the marking member it to be moved to the marking position (FIG. 3). The flexible coupling means 24 permits the interposing member 22 to be moved in both a longitudinal and an up-and-down direction relative to the control member 16 without breakage or slippage of parts during the actuation of the corresponding marking member 10.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the improved punch mechanism comprises suitable means (not shown) for feeding a record, such as a card, incrementally through a punching station. The punch assembly includes a plurality of elongated punch members it), a die stripper 26, and a punch die 28. Punch die 28 and die stripper 26 are mounted in guide blocks 32, 34 which are spaced to define a card receiving slot 36 through which the card being punched is fed by the card feeding means. Any suitable feed mechanism may be employed with the present invention provided it is the type which operates to move the record through the punching station incrementally, since motion of the card must be stopped for at least the time the punch member is in the card to prevent slippage of the card in the feeding means.

The actuating means 12 for the punch mechanism comprises a bail member 4% which is mounted in guide member 4-2 for up-and-down (FIGS. 2 and 3) movement under control of the punch bail cam 44. Spring 46 biases bail 49 to a cam follower position during the upward movement of the bail.

The timing means for the punch mechanism comprises a punch restore cam 48, the punch bail cam 44, and an armature restore cam 50. Each of these cams is common to all the punch positions, and the cams are mounted in suitable side frames 38 and continuously driven by a drive means (not shown) to control the synchronous movements of the punch mechanism. Each of the cams is provided with three high points so that three punching operations can occur for each rotation of the cams.

The control means 14 for individually selectively controlling punching comprises the interposing member 22. coupled to the control member 16 by the resilient coupling means 24. The control member 16 is also the armature for the holding means 1% which is used to selectively control the movement of the control means to select certain of the punches 1t). Punching occurs when the punch bail 40 is driven downwardly after the interposing member 22 is moved to the operative position between the bail 4t} and the punch member It).

The holding means 18 comprises a coil winding which is common to all punch positions, and this winding is constantly energized so that the armature is held in the position shown in FIG. 2 by the force of magnetic at traction when the armature is moved adjacent the magnet core 58 by the armature restore cam $0. The selec I tive control is provided by energizing a release means 2%).

Release means 2% comprises a bucking coil which produces flux in opposition to the hold coil 18 flux, thereby permitting the armature 16 to be released to follow armature restore cam 5i under force exerted by a spring 52 so that the actual selection is performed by the release means 20, and the Work of moving the control means to the operative position is done by spring 52. At the time for punch selection, a high point of armature restore cam b is opposite follower portion 54 of armature 16 so that the armature moves a small distance sufi'lcient to break the magnetic seal to core 48, and the interposer member 22 is then moved the rest of the way to the operative position under control of the armature restore cam 50. The motion produced by armature restore cam 56 is shown in FIG. 4, and it can be seen that the motion is essentially a simple harmonic motion. Since there is no dwell in the movement of the armature l6 (and thus interposer 22) during the time that the interposer is clamped between the punch bail and the punch member, breakageof the parts would result unless a resilient means were provided to couple the interposer member to the armature. This is accomplished by coupling the interposer member 22 to the armature 16 by means of a resilient material such as spring wire. The mounting shown comprises two similar wires each having a loop 56 disposed intermediate the ends to permit some incremental longitudinal movement by varying the effective length of the coupling. This mounting permits the interposer member to be clamped between the punch bail and the punch member during punching so that there is no difierential movement between these parts during a punching operation, thereby reducing wear of these parts of the mechanism. This mounting also provides both an up-and-down movement and a longitudinal movement relative to the armature 16 as the punch bail, interposer and punch are moved downward to the operative position. Thus, the armature restore cam 50 can continue to move the armature 16 while punching is occurring, thereby minimizing the acceleration of the parts, since there is no dwell, and also decreasing the timing tolerances required in the overall mechanism.

The punch restore means comprises an elongated lever 60 which is mounted for pivotal movement about shaft 62. The punch restore lever 60 is biased by spring 64 to a position in which a cam follower portion 66 of lever 60 contacts punch restore cam 48. A pair of restore levers 60 are used to restore each punch member It). The ends 68 of restore levers 60 are positioned on opposite sides of punch members it between shoulders 70 and 72, so that the lever does not interfere with punching. The punch member 10 are biased by spring 74 toward the nonmarking position.

The punch restore cam 48v constantly moves punch restore lever 60, and this motion is timed so that, as soon as the punch member 10 has been moved to the marking position (FIG. 3), the punch restore levers 6t immediately start to restore the punch member 10. This timing is likewise important since it permits the punch to be rapidly withdrawn from the record member so that the record member may be incremented for the next punching operation. The restore function actually takes place after the punch restore lever has reversed its direction so that the punch restore lever is already accelerating in the upward direction at the time of the restore operation.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in the form and d e tails may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A punch mechanism comprising:

a record marking member selectively movable between a non-marking land a marking position; actuating means; control means selectively movable between a first and a second position; and an interposing member,

said interposing member being coupled to said control means by .a coupling means consisting of a spring member having resiliency in two directions, said control means adapted when in said second position to cause said interposing member to couple said actuating means to move said operative member from said non-marking to said marking position. 2. A record marking device comprising: a plurality of record marking members individually selectively actuable; a first and a second continuously rotating cam means; a control means for each of said record marking members; .and V an interposing member coupled :to each of said control means by a length varying coupling means, said coupling means consisting of a spring member having resiliency in two directions,

said control means selectively responsive to the rotation of said first cam means for moving said interp-osing member for rendering said corresponding record marking members actuable in response to the rotation of said second cam means whereby said resilient coupling means prevents breakage of parts due to the continuous rotation of said cam means during said actua- .tion of said record marking member. 3. A record marking device comprising: a plurality of record marking members individually selectively actuable; three continuously rotating cam means; a control means for each of said record marking members; an interposing member coupled to each of said control means by a length varying coupling means having resiliency in two directions, said coupling means consisting of a pair of spring members each having a loop intermediate the ends,

said cont-pol means selectively responsive to the rotation of said first cam means for moving said interposing member fior rendering said corresponding record marking members actuable in response to the rotation of said'second cam means whereby said resilient, coupling means prevents breakage of parts due to the continuous rotation of said cam means during said actuation of said record marking member; and means responsive to rotation of said third cam means to restore said actuated record marking members to their initial position. i 4. A driving mechanism comprising: a plurality of operative members individually selectively actuable; three continuously rotating cam means; a control means for each of said operative members; an interposing member coupled to each of said control means by a length varying coupling means having resiliency in two directions, said coupling means consisting of a spring having a loop intermediate the ends,

said control means selectively responsive to the rotation of said first cam means for moving said interposing member for rendering said corresponding operative members actuable in response to the rotation of said second cam means whereby said resilient coupling means prevents breakage of parts during said actuation of said operative members due to the continuous rotation of said cam means. I 5. A record marking mechanism comprising: a plurality of record marking members adapted to be moved from a non-marking to a marking position; a common punch bail for all of the record marking members; continuously rotating cam means for cyclically driving said punch bail; coupling means for selectively coupling each of said,

5 record marking members to be driven by said punch bail,

said coupling means comprising a control member and an interposin-g member,

said interposing member being connected to said control member by a length varying coupling member having resiliency in two directions, said coupling member consisting of :a spring member having a loop intermediate the ends; and magnetic control means to select said coupling means according to the data to be marked on said record whereby the corresponding ones of said record making members are moved to record making position responsive to the resolution of said cam means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Ford 234118 Mallina 234118 Welsh 234-117 MacNeill 234-115 Steiner 234- 115 Oldenburg et al 234-415 Masterson 234-119 R-a'binow et a1. 234-115 Vogel et a1.

ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,194,494 July 13, 1965 Daniel P Darwin aid Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 5, lines 13 and 14 and line 14, for "making", each occurrence, read marking line 15, for "resolution" read rotation Signed and sealed this 28th day of December 1965.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A PUNCH MECHANISM COMPRISING: A RECORD MARKING MEMBER SELECTIVELY MOVABLE BETWEEN A NON-MARKING AND A MARKING POSITION; ACTUATING MEANS; CONTROL MEANS SELECTIVELY MOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST AND A SECOND POSITION; AND AN INTERPOSING MEMBER, SAID INTERPOSING MEANS BY A COUPLING MEANS CONSISTING OF A SPRING MEMBER HAVING RESILIENCY IN TWO DIRECTIONS, SAID CONTROL MEANS ADAPTED WHEN IN SAID SECOND POSITION TO CAUSE SAID INTERPOSING MEMBER TO COUPLE SAID ACTUATING MEANS TO MOVE SAID OPERATIVE MEMBER FROM SAID NON-MARKING TO SAID MARKING POSITION. 